Okay, as promised we’re going to go over my recent trip to Alaska. The purpose of the trip was to see my brother, Jimmy, graduate from high school. Bartlett High School to be exact. And he did. He graduated Cum Laude (Excuse me while I squee inside my head for a moment with unadulterated pride!) and is already in Georgia on campus at Ft. Valley State getting ready to start his first semester as a college student. (Another brief moment of pride and squee-ing.)

This kid, I swear to you, is one of the smartest, most handsome, funny, weirdest dudes on the face of the planet. I am honored to be related to him. I love him so much sometimes it makes my head spin. I am so proud I can’t even accurately describe. He has two full ride scholarships (both academic) and is going to college for computer engineering.

Pictures!

There is my handsome, smart, witty brother Jimmy. Sticking his tongue out in the only photo I have of him in his graduation gear. Goof ball.

Notice the sweater I’m wearing? Why, yes that is the Something Red by Knit and Tonic pattern I was knitting up just for this occasion. I finished it just in time. Graduation was on Monday, I finished it Sunday afternoon in time to block and wear it damp to the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is me with both of my brothers. Jonny, the ridiculously good looking red head on my right is due to graduate next year and follow in his brothers foot steps to Ft. Valley State to be an engineer as well. Not computers, something else. I think mechanical? Something about building cars and space ships or something. They’re both so smart it’s scary.

This is Mom #2 and Dad with Jimmy. (Mom #2 sounds better than step-Mom, I think. Because Cheryl is very much a Mom, and not a step.)

The rest of my trip was fairly uneventful. I did see a moose:

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Eating grass on the side of the road.

It’s what they do best.

 

I got some decent pictures of some of my friends and family. We’ll just run through them real quick here, even though none of this has anything to do with knitting:

My sister Katrina and I. Kat took me out to the best gay bar (maybe only gay bar?) in Anchorage, Mad Myrnas to see the drag show on Friday night. She even had her friend Stacey (who performs as a drag king) sing us our favorite song; "Wonderwall" by Oasis. This is a snap shot of us singing along. It was a wonderful night.

It also involved three of my favorite ladies; (from left:) Heather, Lydia and Jenn. Heather is what I considered an adopted little sister, I met her when she was a wee thing of 15 (and I was 19), Lydia and I have known each other since…um, forever and she used to lend me her old ID to get into bars when I was underage and Jenn is my old roommate and the only woman I would ever live with again.

Oh! Here’s a knitting related picture. I knit this cute little hat (and mittens that match) up several months ago for my sister Kat, and they finally made it to her. I kept meaning to put them in a box and ship them, but I just took them up with me instead. So now it’s May and she won’t be able to use them for another six months, but at least she has them WAY in advance for the coming winter.

Kat in the Hat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, I couldn’t resister a sock in progress shot with the beautiful mountains that surround Anchorage as a back drop. Very Yarn Harlot I know, but imitation is the highest form of flattery right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been knitting as well, I have a pair of Toe Up Monkey’s (Los Monos Locos) on the needles right now. I’ve just finished turning the heel and only have about eight more pattern repeats and some ribbing to go. If I just sat down and worked on them I would probably have them finished in a few hours. My patience with these socks is wearing thin however and I find myself staring at them and hating them with every ounce of my being.

There they are. The evil things.

 

Just taunting me now. So close to the finish.

 

 

Los Monos Diablo is more like it!

 

I’ve also knit a whole bunch of this ridiculousness:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Binky  holders. They attach the pacifier to a clip so that babies can’t throw their pacifiers all over the place. It’s kind of a good idea, if I wasn’t completely morally opposed to the very idea of a pacifier.

But they make great gifts. So there you have it. I knit them. I personally like the flower one best.

I’ve got a bikini on the needles right now as well, but I accidentally threw a 24 oz. cup of hot chai all over it yesterday so it’s currently on hold while it dries after the little bath I gave it.

That should be done this week though, so pictures are forth coming.

Now, what have all of YOU been up to?

Just real quick, and I’ll get to a real post soon I promise, but I did add a little quickie pattern this weekend. It’s a cabled bag I wrote up to teach a beginners cabling class at the store, but the response to the sample at the store seems to be positive so here’s the pattern just in case you’re interested. There’s about a thousands ways to make this bag bigger, better, more interesting or better constructed so do have a go at it and let me know what you’re results are.

Pattern is available in the sidebar under the ‘Patterns’ heading or here.

A real post is coming soon! I have pictures to share of projects I’ve completed and projects I’m working on but I also have pictures and video from my trip to Alaska last week to see my brother graduate from high school.

 

 

 

 

 

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Woo! It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks. I was in California, I was back from California. I am teaching classes at Knit Las Vegas, now I’m officially working at Knit Las Vegas too, I walked in the Komen Race for a Cure this morning and now I’m about to go to Alaska for 8 days at the end of next week.

In between all of that I have had some time for some knitting and picture taking. First we’ll start with some over due photos:

My birthday party was Saturday April 19th. It was a small get together at my house, and some how we managed not to have a whole lot of pictures to show for it. I can give you these little gems though:

These were all taken immediately before cake and Trivial Pursuit time. (Which, again, Mike and I stomped every one else. We rule at trivia.)

Here’s Laura looking terrified and I’m looking a little tipsy, though I promise you I was not in fact drunk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laura and Kaitlen. I have no idea what was happening here.

 

 

 

And my personal favorite:

What am I even doing here? Who knows.

On to the race today!

The reason I was there. "I race in celebration of: Dee Dee Kircher Jones". I race in memory of her long blond hair.

I love this picture. I actually look like I might be somewhat athletic. Though we all know that the only exercise I get is getting up out of the chair to find my darning needle or chase down a rogue ball of yarn.

 

Here is Las Vegas Mayer, Oscar Goodman, doing what he can for the community. Notice he’s wearing a nice suit and tie, and not a tee shirt and running shoes. Hmm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This, however, was by far the highlight of the morning:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storm troopers. They walked the whole thing in those suits. Masks on and everything. They stopped every few feet to let people take pictures of them or with them. They are the most patient and tolerant men on the planet. We walked right next to them for a good chunk of the walk. Very cool dudes.

And now, real quick before I go soak in the hot tub for a few minutes, I’ll give everyone a peak at some things I’ve been working on recently.

 

A small cabled bag.

 

 

 

 

I knit this up last weekend. I’m writing a pattern and I’ll be using it for the upcoming cables class I’m teaching this month. It’s real simple, knit flat and seamed with an i-cord strap and a simple button flap closure. It’s small, but I think it’s about as simple as you can get for a beginning cable pattern.

Mr. Elephunk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proto type of a ‘binky’ holder I’m knitting up. There is a frog and sock monkey one coming up soon too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first frog one I did. But he’s a bit wild eyed and crazy looking. We call him ‘Smirky’ the frog because I embroidered his face on crooked and it looks like he’s smirking.

I’m currently working on a pair of toe up socks in the modified Monkey pattern – Los Monos Loco. The original version of these socks are knit top down and are awesome, but I prefer toe up. (Original pattern here by Cookie A.) The only mods I’m planning on this version are a short row heel instead of the gusset. Not a fan of gussets.

I’m leaving for Alaska on Thursday, and I’m hoping I can finish my black cotton sweater before then so I can wear it to my brothers graduation. I’m feeling pretty confident I’m going to end up making a mad dash to Sears when I get to town to find something else to wear. Such is life. Maybe I’ll have the socks done at least and I can wear those. Pray happy sock thoughts for me, ya’ll.

Now, I’m going to go soak in the hot tub for a bit and try to get to bed early.